Mail-bag catcher.



B. F. WRIGHT. MAIL BAG GATGHEB..

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y Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

BAYARD F. WRIGHT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, BAYARD F. VRIGHT, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at VaShingtOn, in the District of Columbia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to mail bag catchers, and one of the principalobjects of the same is to improve the latch and spring mechanism of thebag holder.

With the devices in use at present the mail bag is often dropped, owingto the failure of the fork catching the same. Moreover, the bag oftenbecomes wedged into the crotch of the catcher, and in many instances thebag has to be mutilated in order to be detached. It is to overcome thesedefects in mail bag catchers that my invention is designed.

The construction of my mail bag catcher is such that the pouches willnot fall when once engaged.

In the accompanying drawing,-Figure 1 is a plan view of a mail bagcatcher provided with my improvements and connected to the oppositesides of a car door opening. Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinalsectional view of the crotch portion of a mail bag catcher, showing myimprovements in the two positions which they assume in use. Fig. 3 is adetail sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow.

Referring to the drawing for a more spe cific description of myinvention, the numeral 1 designates the door frame of a mail car, andpivoted to the keepers 2 on the outside of the door frame is the mailbag catcher 3 comprising the pivot bar 4 and the catcher bar 5. Theshank 6 of the catcher is provided with a rubber gasket or buffer 7, andthe usual handle S is provided for manipulating the catcher.

In the crotch of the catcher, in accordance with my invention, I securea bow-shaped spring 9 which is seated in a recess in the crotch andsecured in place by means of screws 10. The free end of the spring 9 isformed into a rounded bead 11. A latch 12 is pivoted at 13 and providedwith a beveled end, said beveled' end adapted t0 be seated in a recess15 in the catcher. The opposite end of the latch 12 is rounded, as at16.

Specification. of Letters Patent.

Application led May 7, 1908.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 431,376.

To set the catcher in position to pick up the bag from a stationarycrane the spring 9 engages the latch 12 at a point beyond its pivot 13,as shown in Fig. 1, and in dotted lines in Fig. 2. I/Jhen the bagstrikes the spring 9 the beaded end 11 of the spring is brought againstthe terminal end of the latch, and said latch is then swung upon thepivot 13 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 to hold the bagin place between the spring and latch. By throwing the latch 12 to thedotted line position in Fig. 2, the spring 9 is withdrawn from therecess 15 by the point of the latch engaging behind the bead.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that a mail bag catcher providedwith a latch and spring made in accordance with my invention will notpermit the bags to be wedged in the crotch and will operate smoothly andefficiently under varying circumstances and conditions.-

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. A mail bag catcher comprising the usual fork, a spring secured in thecrotch of the fork and provided with a rounded end, and a latch pivotedto the fork and provided with a bevel head, said fork having a recesstherein for said head and the end of the spring.

2. A mail bag catcher provided with a spring secured to the crotchthereof, said catcher having a recess for the end of said spring, alatch provided with a beveled head and pivoted in said recess, wherebywhen the end of said spring extends beyond the pivotal point of thelatch the latter is held longitudinally of the catcher and when a bagstrikes the spring it throws the latch across the catcher to hold thebag.

3. A mail bag catcher comprising a spring secured in the crotch of thecatcher, the latn ter having a recess for the end of the spring, and alatch provided with a beveled head pivoted in said recess and bearingagainst said spring.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BAYARD F. VVRIGrI-IT.

Witnesses:

OWEN H. Fownnn, W. C. BALDERs'roN.

